Direct-acting engine



(No Model.)

- G. SIGKELS.

DIRECT ACTING ENGINE.

1 Q 8 8 1 2 0 0 u A d m m 0 P V 2 H7/ M m I \/E iElY.

yij igziies n4 Firms, Phofo-lilim nphr. Vlmhinglun. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE,

GERARD SICKELS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIRECT-ACTING ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,022, dated August2, 1881.

- Application filed May 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GERARD SIcKELs, ofBoston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improv'ementin Fluid Engines orMotors, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is aspecification.

My invention relates to a motor to be oper-' ated by fluid pressure; andit consists in a novel construction and combination of parts and methodof operating them, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The movable piston, which also performs, to a certain extent, thefunction of the usual cylinder of a reciprocating engine, is'made as anopen rectangular frame, supported on a bedplate or seat forming'thebottom of the cylinder or space in which the fluid-pressure is exerted,and surrounding and inclosing two abutments fixed upon the saidbed-plate, which sfis tain the reaction of the pressure by which thesaid piston is moved, they forming the fixed boundary at one end of thespace within the said piston, andincluding between them a space orchamber, from which the fluid is led by suitable ports to the space ateither side of. the said abutments to act on thesaid piston. A valveplaced in the chamber between the abutments, which is herein called thevalve-chamber, controls the passage of the fluid through the said ports,andhas connected therewith a plate which fits tightly upon the top ofthe piston, forming the fourth side to the cylinder in which the fluidis received to act upon the said piston, the said cylinder beingrectangular in cross-section, and having its bottom formed by thebed-plate, its sides and ends by the sides and ends of the movablepiston, and its top by the said valve-plate. The piston, at the end ofits stroke by which one ofits ends is brought near to one of the saidabutments, engages the said valve-plateand operates the valve, bringingthe. ports into such connection that the fluid is admitted between theabutment and end of the piston near it-and is al-' lowed to pass outfrom the space between the other abutment and end of the piston whichhas just been removed therefrom in making its last stroke, so that thepiston will now make the stroke in the opposite direction.

The'piston-valve and its plate are inclosed in a chamber in which theactuating-fluid may be directly led, and which may accordingly be calledthe pressure-chamber, while below the valve-chamber included betweenthetwo abutments an eduction-port or exhaust-passage is placed, the valvebeing an ordinary D slidevalve which alternately connects U -shapedports leading from either side of the valvechamber to the outside of theabutments with the said exhaust-port. The fluid enters the valve-chamberthrough passages in the said valve-plate, and thence passes into thecylinder or space within the piston, at one side of one of theabutments, through that one of the said U-shaped ports not connected, asjust described, by the valve with the exhaust-port.

A latch-bar is employed to maintain thevalve in its fixed positionduring the stroke of the piston, the said latch being operated by thepiston near the end of its stroke to release the said valve just beforethe piston engages and operates it in completing its stroke.

The piston is preferably connected by a suitable piston-rod andconnections with a flywheel, which properly regulates the length of itsstroke.

A motor has previously been made containing a piston composed of ahollow rectangular frame closed at top and bottom by plates and servingas a cylinder for a secondary piston movable therein; but neither of thesaid pistons is operatedby reaction from a fixedabutment/within it, asin thepresent invention.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a motor constructed in accordancewith my invention, and Fig. 2 a top view thereof,.with theinclosing-case or upper part of the pressure-chamber removed and aportion of the valve-plate broken away to show the parts beneath.

The movable actuating portion or piston to of the engine is made as anopen rectangular frame, having its opposite inner surfaces, 2, smoothand parallel, the said piston being mounted on a bed-plate, b, providedwith two abutments, c c, accurately fitted in the said piston a, betweenthe ends of which and the said abutments the fluid operates by its pressme to move the said piston to. The spaces included between the saidabutments and the ends of the piston thus correspond to the space in thecylinder of a reciprocating engine of common construction. Two U'shapedports, (I d, connect the space included between the said abutments withthe space in the piston a at either side thereof, and an exhaust-port,c, is located between them. The said ports are controlled by a Dslide-valve,f, having connected therewith a valve-plate, g, fitting uponthe top of and inelosing the space within the piston to. The saidvalve-plate is provided with induction-ports h h, adapted in themovement of the said valve-plate and valve, as hereinafter described, tooperate alternately each one to connect the valve-chamber formed betweenthe said abutments with the space external to the said valve-plate andpiston, while the other one is closed by one of the said abutments.

The piston a, with its abutments c c, and valve f and valve-plate g, areinclosed in a chamber, 1', mounted upon the bed-plate I) as its base, inwhich the actuating-fluid is admitted, it entirely surrounding the saidparts.

The valve-plate g is provided with suitable lugs or projections, l, tobe engaged by the piston a near the end of its stroke to cause the saidvalve-plate and valve to accompany it in completing its stroke, thusmoving the valve f through the valve-chamber between the abutments 0 tochange the path of the actuatingfluid.

In order to prevent the valve plate g and valve from moving with thepiston a before the latter has arrived at the proper position near theend of its stroke, a locking device or latch-bar,m, is employedhavingloeking-shoulders a near its ends, the said shoulders being at adistance apart equal to the difference between the entire length of thevalve-plate g and the length of its stroke. A projection, 12, at eachend of the piston to engages an inclined surface, 3,at the end of thelatch-harm, raising its shoulder a out of engagement with the end of theplate 9 just before the piston a. engages the lugs l to move the saidvalveplate; and when the latter has completed its stroke in onedirection by the engagement of the piston a with the lug l at one end,the holding-point n of the bar at falls over and engages the valve-plateg at its other end. The bar at is sufficiently long to engage the endsof the inclosing or pressure chamber '1', which thus prevents itslongitudinal movement.

The piston a is connected by a piston-rod, q, passing out of the chamberi through a suitable stalling-box, with a cross-head, r, guided in itsmovement by guide-rods s, passing through suitable guides on the top ofthe chamber a, and connected by a connectin g-rod, t, with the crank uof a fiy-wheel, '0, from which the power may be transmitted in any usualmanner.

The operation is as follows: The parts are shown in the position withthe piston near the end of its stroke, the valve f and the valve-plate 9having been moved bythe said piston into the position where theinlet-port h is closed by the upper surface of the abutment cbeneath it,and

the space win the piston a, into which the actuating-fluid has just beenentering, has an exhaust-passage through the port (1, valve j, andexhaust-port 0, while the induction-port h at. the other side of thevalve-plate permits the passage of the fluid under pressure from the thechamber 07 into the valve chamber, and thence by port (1 into the spacey between the abutments c and piston a, from which the fluid has justbeen exhausted in the last stroke of the said piston. The pressure ofthe fluid will now cause the piston to to make its stroke in thedirection of the arrow, just before the end of which the projection 11will engage the surface 3 of the end a of the latch-bar m, causing it torelease the plate g, after which the piston a will engage the lug l ofsaid valve-plate g, and in finishing its stroke will move it to theproper position for the valve f to connect the ports 01 and 0, at thesame time opening the valve h and closing the valve h, to thus cause thepiston to make stroke in the other direction, the latch-bar at havingengaged the other end of the plate 9 to prevent it from moving with thepiston at until released by the projection 1).

The herein-described motor is very simple in construction and positivein operation. The moving parts are entirely surrounded by the fluid bywhich they are actuated, such arrangement serving to lubricate them, andowing to the particular arrangement the parts will be maintained inproper contact with one another as they wear away.

\Vhen stopped on a dead-center the engine may be started in eitherdirection as desired; or a suitable handle may be provided to disengagethe latch-bar m and shift the valve while the piston is at anintermediate pointin its stroke, the direction of which will thus bereversed.

I claim- 1. In afluid engine or motor, the hollow movable piston and afixed abutment or partition therein, combined with ports leading to thespaces in the said piston at either side of the said fixed abutment andavalve to control the induction and eduction of the actuating-fluidthrough the said ports, substantially as described.

2. The bed-plate provided with an abutment fixed thereon, and themovable piston, made as an open rectangular frame mounted upon the saidbed-plate andinclosin g the said abutment, combined with a plate tightlyfitted upon the top of the said piston to inclose a space therein whichis divided by the said abutment, substantially as described.

3. The movable hollow piston and two abutments therein,includin g afixed space or valvechamber between them and a variable space betweeneach of them and the adjacent end of the movable piston, combined withinduction and eduction ports leading into and out from the saidvalve-chamber and connecting-ports between the said chamber and spacewithin the piston at either side thereof, and a valve to govern the saidports, substantially as de- I scribed.

4. The bed-plate and abutments connected therewith and the hollow pistonmounted thereon, combined with the valve and plate connected therewith,and forming the top or cover for the said piston, and adapted to beoperated thereby to change the position of the valve, substantially asdescribed.

5. The movable piston and valve-plate, forming a cover therefor andadapted to be operated thereby, combined with the locking dc.- vice forthe said plate, controlled by the said piston, as described, whereby thelatter, in making its stroke, firstunlocks and then moves the saidvalve-plate and its connected valve, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

GERARD SIOKELS.

' Witnesses Jos. P. LIVERMORE, BERNIGE J. NoYEs.

